What to Do if Someone Else Claimed Your Google My Business Listing

One of the most important steps in a local SEO strategy is to claim, verify and optimize your Google My Business listing. The process is fairly straightforward, and you can get started by going to Google.com/business. However, you may discover that the listing was already verified by someone else.

This can be alarming if you’re the business owner and don’t know who this individual is. Fortunately, Google provides instructions on how to move forward. If someone else claimed your Google My Business Listing, you’ll need to find out who owns it and submit a transfer ownership request. Follow these tips to get started.

Step One: Ask Around

The listing could have been verified by someone you know, but without your knowledge. Reach out to anyone who’s had a hand in your marketing efforts to see if they have access to it, such as current and former employees or agency vendors. If so, have them transfer ownership of the listing to you.

Step Two: Guess the Email

If the person who claimed your listing is a former employee or colleague, you may be able to gain ownership if you can still access their company email account.

After clicking Request Ownership, select Yes, but I’ve forgotten my username or password, and continue until you reach the password reset page. Then, enter any suspected individual’s old company email. If you’re lucky, you’ll correctly guess the account that owns your listing and can transfer it yourself!

Step Three: Follow Google’s Instructions

If you’re unable to contact the person who claimed your listing, or guess their email address, Google will attempt to request ownership on your behalf.

Fill out the provided form, and wait at least one week for the current listing owner to respond. In the meantime, you should familiarize yourself with the Google My Business guidelines.